BACKGROUND: Critically ill patients require expert nursing care -- so do their distressed family members. The challenge for critical care nurses is to provide care for aggressively managed, critically ill patients and to attend to the needs of their loved ones at the bedside.

PURPOSE: This descriptive, exploratory study examined differences between family members (Family) of critically ill patients and critical care nurses (RNs) as to perceptions of the needs of family, and the extent to which these needs were met.

METHODS: Critical care RNs (n = 30) and family members (n = 20) of critically ill patients at a small community hospital comprised the sample. Participants were surveyed using the Norris and Grove 30-item version of Molter and Leske's Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI; Leske, 1986) and a 30-item version of Warren's Needs Met Inventory (NMI; Warren, 1993). Survey Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS: RNs and Family exhibited statistically significant differences (p less than .05) for 9 items on the CCFNI and for 22 items on the NMI. Family rated all items as being of greater importance than RNs.

IMPLICATIONS: Family needs were categorized according to Leske's (Leske, 1997; Leske, 1991) dimensions of assurance, proximity, information, comfort and support. By implementing specific cost-effective strategies to increase family access to the patient, to improve communication with the physician and the health care team, and to create a family-friendly environment, critical care RNs can meet family member needs and improve the quality of nursing care.